Chasing Rainbows
by Magi Silverwolf
Summary: Skylar Adams had learned early that Happily Ever After was something that happened to people who didn't have a multiple organizations keeping them under a magnifying glass. Luckily, Digit knows better. (StL fill)


**Disclaimer:** I do not own the original canon nor am I making any profit from writing this piece. All works are accredited to their original authors, performers, and producers while this piece is mine. No copyright infringement is intended. I acknowledge that all views and opinions expressed herein are merely my interpretations of the characters and situations found within the original canon and may not reflect the views and opinions of the original author(s), producer(s), and/or other people.

 **Warnings:** This story may contain material that is not suitable for all audiences and may offend some readers. Please utilize understanding of personal sensitivities before and while reading.

 **Author's Note:** Has anyone else ever given way too much thought to whether something counted as a crossover when the shows are happening in the same 'verse? No? Just me then? Phooey.

 **Challenge/Competition Block:** **  
Fill Number:** 04 **  
Representation(s):** Bisexuality; Single Parenthood **  
Bonus Challenge(s):** Unicorn (Bisexuality); Second Verse (Clio's Conclusion) **  
Word Count:** 1793 (Story Only); n/a (Story & Epigraph)

-= LP =-  
 **Chasing Rainbows**  
Part 01: A Little Rain  
-= LP =-

The thing about Oregon, especially this close to the Washington border, was that rain tended to be a frequent weather condition. Normally, that wouldn't bother Skylar Adams. She actually liked the rain. Rain normally meant being able to do nothing more complex than hanging out with Digit in whatever hideaway they had managed to find. Having to run because of Rosen and his _team_ , however, meant that instead of safe and dry somewhere and preparing a filling meal for her daughter, she was trudging through a downpour, hoping that the EM spike her dragonfly had picked up was an actual town and not an isolated cell tower or generator.

"I'm _cold_ , Mama," Digit whined in her arms. Skylar pressed the four-year-old tighter against her chest. Careful not to drop the girl, Skylar tried to adjust the only raincoat they had to better cover Digit. Her arms ached from carrying Digit, even as small as she was, but Skylar knew that trying to make her walk would only prolong the amount of time it would take to reach the blip.

"I know, baby, but we're almost there," Skylar reassured. "You just have to be brave for a little while longer."

"But how _much_ longer?"

"Not—" Skylar cut herself off and stopped walking forward as the sound of an approaching car bounced off the trees lining the road. Instinctively, her eyes darted to the brush, too long on the run making her first desire be to hide when there was a risk of discovery. Digit gave a wordless whine, clearly hearing the car as well and probably thinking only about possible warmth. She stayed still, torn between the opposing options of hiding and being discovered. She was still fighting when the car, a sheriff's department SUV, came into view, slowing to a stop on the side of the road near them. The passenger side window rolled down.

"You look like you could use a ride," the woman in the SUV called through the window. Her hair was pulled tightly back into a no-nonsense bun. Likewise, her expression spoke only business and professional concern. When their eyes met, there was none of the automatic suspicious or plotting that she had grown used to seeing over the years. Digit wiggled under the raincoat, twisting around to look as well. The woman's eyes flicked downward for a moment before she leaned over to open the door. "Hey there, small fry. It's raining cats and dogs out here. Can you help your mom climb in?"

"Hell yeah," Digit agreed, wiggling wildly to get loose.

"Zoe! Language!" Skylar scolded even as the officer laughed. Digit didn't even look back as she scrambled up into the cab, barely giving the officer a chance to sit up. The only thing to do was to join them.

"I think it might be something in the name," the officer commented after they were buckled and on their way down the road. "The sheriff's daughter is named Zoe as well and she's a handful. I'm Jo, by the way. Deputy Jo Lupo."

"You're really pretty," Digit piped up. Heaven help her, Digit was looking up at the deputy like the woman was the best invention in the world. Skylar really wasn't ready for her baby to look at anyone else that way. "And I like your name. I'm Digit. Mama only calls me Zoe when I'm in trouble."

"Is that a lot of the time?"

" _Duh._ " Digit leaned forward to get a better look at the deputy's hands. "You play with knives! That's _so cool_. Mama barely lets me play with screwdrivers. She says it's not safe. But hows else am I supposed to keep my secret boards to stay together?"

" _Circuit_ , baby," Skylar corrected automatically, "and you shouldn't bother the nice lady."

"Cuz she plays with knives?"

"Yeah, is it because I play with knives?" Jo asked, giving her a look as best as possible without compromising her driving. "I haven't actually stabbed anyone in at least a week. I'm harmless. Besides, she's not bothering me. Trust me, I'm used to baby genii. Anywhere in particular I need to drop you when we get into town?"

"Food!" Digit announced before Skylar could even think about asking for an auto parts store. She could fix the car easily enough, but there was no way she could fabricate the parts needed without a proper set up. Skylar hesitated over trying to calculate if they could afford to eat at a diner, both in funds and time. Digit gave a whine of complaint. "Mama, I'm _hungry_."

"How 'bout this," Jo started in a carefully neutral tone, like Skylar was a skittish cat, "we can stop in at our diner—the cook can make _anything_ and delights in challenges to that claim—and then afterwards, I can take you girls back to the station to call Henry to see to the car I'm assuming you had at one point. That's if Henry isn't at _Café Diem_ when we get there or shows up while we're eating. Henry owns our local garage."

"Can we, Mama? Can we?!"

"I guess," Skylar agreed. "Though if you just direct me to wherever in your town sells auto parts, then we wouldn't have to bother this Henry."

"Oh, it's not a problem. Henry could use the distraction, actually. Things tend to explode if he's left to his own devices for too long. Hey," Jo said, redirecting her attention to Digit sitting between them. "Did you know that Henry used to work on space shuttles?"

"He _did_?" Digit looked thrilled with that bit of information. Skylar braced herself as Digit turned her honey-brown eyes towards her to sweeten the plea. "Can I meet him, Mama? Please? I've never meeted anyone who has worked on _actual_ shuttles!"

"Yeah, can she meet Henry, Mama? Can she?"

"You're diabolical," Skylar accused. Jo flashed her a smirk as they started passing houses.

"Aw, you say the sweetest things," Jo quipped back. "Though I should warn you that I don't put out on the first date. Oh, _sh-crap—"_

"Are you dating?" Digit questioned, looking between the two women before focusing on the deputy. "I'm supposed to tell anyone trying to date Mama that I have ways of making you pay if you hurt or betray her, 'cause I'm all she's got."

"Zoe, baby, we're not going to be here long enough to worry about that," Skylar tried to explain as Digit's eyes filled with tears threatening to spill. "No, baby, don't cry. It's not—"

"Mama, I'm _tired_ ," Digit whined. Internally, Skylar agreed. They had almost been caught a few weeks ago, and trying to keep ahead of that had been exhausting. Digit didn't sleep well in moving vehicles, and the longer she went with disturbed sleep, the fussier she got. Traveling with a whiny four-year-old with a habit of dismantling any tech that she was within arms' reach of for longer than a few minutes was not Skylar's idea of a good time. "I don't wanna keep moving. Can't we stay?"

"Digit," Skylar sighed. It was a hopeless situation, but even as brilliant as her daughter was, this was not something she would understand. She was just too young. There were too many people willing to do anything for the things that she and Digit could do. Even the people who seemed helpful had their own agendas, as Dr. Rosen had proven.

Skylar's gaze flicked to the woman driving. Jo kept her own gaze on the road, giving them the illusion of privacy. They were passing more shopfronts now than houses. The town itself seemed very picturesque, the ideal small town in the Pacific Northwest. Skylar couldn't imagine anything too terrible happening in such a place, and she could too easily imagine how quickly Jo would react to any threat to the peace here. Even sitting down, Jo had the bearing of a former soldier, probably retired Special Forces. Digit wasn't wrong about the knives, but her baby girl had missed the calluses that showed how Jo also routinely used multiple types of guns. Either the tiny burg was far more dangerous than it seemed on the surface or she was the type to keep up the habit for fun.

Jo pulled into a parking spot in front of a diner. Skylar could see the busy-ness of the crowd through the front window. Even the thought of going into that crowd made her want to scoop up Digit and run fast in the other direction, rain or no rain. Jo hit her hand a few times against her steering wheel, clearly frustrated with something.

"Look, I don't usually do this," the deputy said, still not looking at Skylar or Digit, "but if you need a place to lay low for a little while, I've got a spare room and a safe room that can withstand a nuke. You may not have _noticed_ but protecting people is kind of what I'm supposed to do." Jo finally looked over at her, meeting her eyes. "You seem like you might need someone by your side, for once. I'm not exactly what people call _friendly_ , but I want to help, if you'll let me."

"You don't know the first thing about me, Jo," Skylar reminded as gently as possible. "You don't even know my name or my situation. I could build technology capable of destroying life as we know it, or I could be a megalomaniac hellbent on ending the world for all you know. You just don't know."

"You'd be surprised how equipped I am to thwarting tech issues and most megalomaniacs aren't gonna melt because a little girl gave them puppy eyes." Jo smiled wryly. "And I've got a good feel about you, even without knowing anything else. You look hungry, though, and way undercaffeinated, so let's go eat. You can decide on the rest after you've tried Vincent's cooking and talked to Henry. Even if it's just for a few days, you two have a place with me."

"Okay," Skylar whispered, prompting Digit to cheer. "Okay, we'll stay, but only for a little while and the first sign of trouble, we're gone. I'm not going to risk Digit."

"Of course," Jo agreed. "I should warn you that _trouble_ is kind of the status quo here in Eureka. Too many genii with too little common sense. The week's just not complete unless we've had to stop the end of the world at least once."

"I don't know whether to appreciate the head's up or to be horrified that I don't think you're exaggerating."

"Eureka doesn't need any exaggerating."

"Skylar," she announced. Jo's eyes widened in surprise, but her smile widened as well.

"Well, Skylar," Jo drawled, "welcome to Eureka."

"Now can we eat? I'm _hungry_!"

-= LP =-  
 _To Be Continued in Part 02_  
-= LP =-


End file.
